A Kunkletown man admitted his part in an assault and kidnapping incident on Monday in Carbon County court.

Jamel Kaseim Svendsen, 31, pleaded guilty before Judge Steven R. Serfass to one count of simple assault. In exchange for the plea a felony 1 count of kidnap - to inflict terror, was dropped. The plea deal with the district attorney’s office had another case, stemming from the same incident, involving another kidnap charge, being dropped.

Svendsen was one of three charged for an incident on Nov. 11, 2021, filed by state police at Fern Ridge.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by trooper Tristan Bennett at 1:28 p.m. Nov. 11, troopers received an emergency call stating a man was kidnapped by a group of men and taken to their residence on Victoria Arms Circle in Kunkletown. Police learned the victim was taken from a residence on Sandburg Glenn in Penn Forest Township by Shane Horton, 22; Anthony Nava, 37; and Jamel Svendsen, 30, all of Kunkletown. The victim told police the suspects came to his residence and Horton engaged in an argument with the victim’s roommate. Horton confronted the victim, accusing him of having sex with his “baby mama.”

The suspects forced him into the back seat of a vehicle. The victim’s roommate was able to escape and called 911.

Svendsen and Nava were in the back punching him while Horton drove them to a residence at Victoria Arms Circle in Polk Township, where he was placed on a black chair in a bedroom. Horton brandished a small gun and pointed it at the victim, stating he was going to kill him. Horton and Nava threatened the victim with the gun, saying they were going to shoot him, cut his throat and rape him.

Horton and Nava hit him multiple times in the arms and torso with a baseball bat. Horton and Nava took turns pointing the gun, and hit him with the gun in the face.

They moved him to the second floor where he was placed on a couch where they began to fight with him.

Troopers arrived at the residence and took the suspects into custody.

Nava was taken to the hospital after complaining of illness and drug withdrawal symptoms. He told police that the gun was stolen, and that Horton threw a stolen gun into the woods behind the residence before troopers arrived.

Nava said they kidnapped the victim and assaulted him because he owed them money for narcotics.

The next day, Svendsen told police Horton and Nava brought him on a ride to speak with the victim’s roommate regarding someone sleeping with the mother of his child.

The victim’s roommate said when they arrived at his stepmother’s residence they entered the garage and hung out there when Horton started talking about his girlfriend doing meth and having sex with black men.

The victim’s roommate said Horton punched him in the face several times and slashed him on the chest and arms with a box cutter, and asked to speak to the victim, who was asleep in another room. Horton located the victim and forced him into the garage and was upset with the victim due to him being black. Horton then questioned the victim about his girlfriend and punched him in the face several times.

The victim’s roommate said he attempted to stop Horton from assaulting the victim, but was attacked again by Horton, who also threatened to harm his family.

Nava told Horton to calm down, and Horton responded to Nava by telling him to “shut up before you end up dead like these (expletive).” Horton then forced him to drink shots of alcoholic beverages, but that he refused and was punched in the face by Horton, who then broke glasses on the garage floor and urinated on the floor.

The victim’s roommate said Nava then instructed them that they all had to go, and grabbed him and attempted to lead him into their vehicle, but he freed himself from Nava’s grasp and fled into the woods and hid under a neighbor’s vehicle, where from a distance he could see the victim being taken into the vehicle with them.

Defense attorney Matthew J. Rapa said his client cooperated fully with the police. He said Svendsen, “went along for the ride,” and didn’t know in advance what was going to happen. He also said his client has mental health issues.

Serfass placed him on probation for 24 months and ordered he get a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, have no contact with the victim, render 100 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample, pay court costs of over $1,000 and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation.

Horton previously pleaded to one count each of terroristic threats and simple assault and was sentenced to serve one day less 12 to one day less 24 months in prison followed by 18 months of probation. He had already served 461 days and was paroled.

In the Nava case an entry of civil judgment was made in the matter and the case has been marked as “inactive.”